To be fair to the Big XII, it did get two schools who were really eager to join it. TCU had been maneuvering ever since the dissolution of the SWC to get back with Texas and A&M (well, it got one of the two). WVU wanted to go anywhere than where it was, and was willing to do whatever it took to make it happen ASAP. They may not be the ideal partners for that conference, but it's not like the Big XII had to beg to get them.

Yes but WVU is regretting the move because many feel that if they had waited then the ACC would have choosen them over Lville and then they would be in the ACC w/ Pitt and the other former Big Easters.

_________________Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

The B12 declining Louisville, and opting for just WVU and in-footprint TCU (as some State of Texas balance since Texas A&M left for the SEC) looks now to be a strategic mistake if the B12 was ever to contemplate getting back to 12-plus. Then with Maryland leaving for the B1G, the ACC adds Louisville, but had always rejected WVU which was a natural rival to several of the ACC schools and would have made the ACC still geographically contiguous and lessened the blow with losing Maryland. Obviously, these Commissioners and conference Presidents have taken sling-shot approaches to expansion, have shown little cooperating activity in reaching mutually beneficial grand designs, and produced track records of whom are the aggressors and whom are the defenders. The ACC has played both roles, but now are the big defenders. The B12? Probably that conference is more split on it than they publically show. Some in the B12 know they could have improved future options, while others in the conference never want to see more breakage in the B12.

And this Mizzou-to-the-B1G advocacy is getting really old. If the B1G really wanted them, they blew their golden chance, which again points to the way expansion has been approached as noted above. And that old argument that Mizzou cannot compete in fb in the SEC, that's been highly diminished by the current SEC-east leader in their second conference season.

The Big 12 didn't refuse to invite Louisville. Louisville refused to sue the Big East to get out early. The Big 12 had to have a school for the next year to keep the tv contracts. WVU was the only option.

Yes but WVU is regretting the move because many feel that if they had waited then the ACC would have choosen them over Lville and then they would be in the ACC w/ Pitt and the other former Big Easters.

True, but that's on WVU and not the Big XII. WVU pushed for that membership. It wasn't pulled.

Related to the above article, it usually proves to be a bad idea to hire a 'coach in waiting', if the HC did not initiate the move, and particularly when the new hire is forced on the staff of the current HC. FSU had a messy situation with this too. If a school's administration has decided it is time for a coach to retire, certainly do it with dignity, but make clean moves.The current UF coach was in this kind of arrangement at Texas.

Such moves tell the current HC that he has lost his touch and the school's powers want him to go but they don't want to appear to be firing him because of the coach's prior success. Then the HC has to keep looking over his shoulders as to what the new guy may be doing to speed up the process. The influence of the HC with potential recruits, players, fans, superiors, other staff, begins to erode.

Last edited by sec03 on Tue Oct 29, 2013 11:40 am, edited 2 times in total.

An EEOC fight with a fired women's track coach who was fired for sleeping and living with one of her athletes who is slinging mud every chance she gets (exposed Major Applewhite's affair, and rumor of a few others).

A board of regents members (Perry supported) Hall going through impeachment hearings, is the same one who leaked the Saban meeting that happened back in January.

Governor Rick Perry has appointed a Baylor grad and Aggie grad to UT's BOR in an attempt to once again try to fire President Powers (who BTW is now the HEAD of the AAU) because he spoke out against what Perry is trying to do to Texas which is cutting funding dramatically, forcing a tuition freeze for the next 5 years (only on UT, not on any other university in the state), trying to pass a bill that states that 4 years of public college should only cost $10,000 total (UT currently cost 5K a semester), and trying/failing to get Texas to adopt the University of Phoenix online college model (something that was push by some of his biggest campaign contributors), meanwhile funneling 80% of the state's research grant to Texas A&M, and adding more schools to the Public University Fund, West Texas oil rights money designed to fund top tier Universities, which has only been UT/A&M for 100 years but now includes Houston, Tech, and every system school in UT, A&M, Houston, and Tech which is just ridiculous to call many of them top tier Universities; all of which is just to make Perry look good for his 2016 Presidential run.

Tons of big Money Donors battling it out for who to hire everywhere and enforce their will on the President/AD/coaches because they can.

And on top of all of this we have possible Big 12 expansion and future realignment moves (PAC12, B1G, SEC) to worry about.

(also note that they announced the final fb stadium renovation to 'bowl' it in completely in this plan possibly pushing up capacity to 110K)

Not sure if this means anything as far as realignment but I found it interesting. Texas is already a top academic institution in the top 50 annually in US News and World Report rankings and has been ranked as high as 34 in various other lists, but the lack of a medical school was severely undercutting our ability to make the next jump into the top 30 with Michigan, Cal, and UNC and break away from Washington, Wisconsin, and Florida.

The med school should take off fairly quickly as Texas already has a great Pharmacy school on campus and has 6 top medical centers in the UT system including UT Southwestern (Dallas), UT MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston), UT Medical Branch (in Galveston,), and UT Health Science Centers in San Antonio, Houston, and Tyler.

Also, the medical school will allow for Texas to eventually expand and add other related grad schools like Dentistry, Veterinary (take that Aggies), and even (crazy and this sounds) Marine Biology (in cooperation with the Medical Branch in Galveston).

But if you want to take anything from these stories, let’s just underline that THIS is the reason Texas is interested in joining the Big Ten or PAC16 and not the SEC or staying in the Big 12 long term as Kansas and Iowa State should not be UT’s closest peer’s in their conference. Texas want to be surrounded by other likeminded institutions which only the Big Ten and PAC16 can provide.

_________________Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

I live outside of St. Louis and imagine my surprise when a few months ago, we were being inundated with radio ads featuring governor Rick Perry of Texas.

Disclosure - I have republican leanings but am primarily independent and tend to judge Republican and Democratic candidates on what I consider to be good solidstable governing policies and fiscal policy that is responsible and sustainable.

So Rick Perry is airing ads bashing the Missouri Democratic governor about lossening the state's purse strings to fund economic development (Missouri has struggled somewhat i this area, but the state government is on solid financial footing and maintains a AAA bond rating).Rick is inviting businesses and people to relocate to Texas, touting it's superior economic climate.

A very atypical ad campaign.... I thought WTFIUWT ?

Apparently (as you say) Rick has his eyes on the White House, and this was part of his effort to become better known nationwide.He must also think bashing a Democratic governor has value, even though the guy is in the 2nd of two terms, and I can't imagine where he goes next bu ta run for U.S. Senate.

Disturbing that Perry is proposing dooinng a bunch of fisccally irresponsible things, mainly to increase the short-term popularity of politiicains like himself.Back in 2011, I recall he jumped into the Presidential race late (no republican had really emerged at that point (Gingrich had decent numbers at the time).Perry, a relative unknown NATIONALLY, quickly climbed up the GOP polls. A few weeks later he came crashing down hte polls almost as fast. I can't recall what happened.

Anyway, I want to refrain from politics on a sports board, but this all does relate to what is happening at U of Texas, which has the largest (I believe) athletics budet at approx. $100 million / year.

Anyway, I want to refrain from politics on a sports board, but this all does relate to what is happening at U of Texas, which has the largest (I believe) athletics budet at approx. $100 million / year.

Yes, I don't want this to be a political board either but let me just say this.

I'm a libertarian, so some of what Perry is doing I'm okay with like cutting state funds to UT (I would have paid the out of state tuition cost to go there if I had to), but combine than with a tuition freeze and possible cap and cronyism is grants to A&M and this is clearly not ideal no matter which way you lean. You can't cut multiple type of income and then not allow them to make it up elsewhere, clearly there is some other goal here. Texas is the 2nd best University in the state only behind Rice which is a private Southern Ivy type school. It makes no sense to intentionally try to do all these things to the best state run university. The state of Texas really needs more top tier institutions, the goal should be to raise everyone else to Texas' academic level, not lower Texas to theirs.

That being said the athletic department money can't be used to replace all these funding cutting and income caps....its not even close to equal.

_________________Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

The B12 certainly can get to 12 or 14 or even 16 if they really wanted to, but they may need to accept an even greater spread with 'names' outside the power-5 establishment.

Tulane is investing and improving. They have the academics and a great location to add for travel, exposure, and entertainment. Tulane could be in the early mix if the B12 decides to expand. Tulane falls under the radar with past athletic struggles. But potential is there to be tapped by the right conference with money willing to see dividends later, and the University retains a commitment path.Cincy and UCF are two others that offer some appeal.

For UConn to be of real value to the B12, having them so isolated (as WVU has been), would become an added unsettling matter. Find a another rival or two for them (Temple?) if the B12 heads in that direction. Well, easing on top standards/criteria shall be required.

I have warmed up to the idea of Cincy being in the Big 12. So, my second choice, from his list of teams would be Tulane.Tulane, because they are AAU(if aau is good enough for the B1G, then good enough for me), New Orleans is a great addition to any conference, history of playing against the best teams in the South, plenty of money to improve sports without robbing the other school programs, helps develop a Mississippi River side of the conference.

A few years after these additions....I hope that the conference would bring in Memphis and Rice. Memphis for the Miss. River continuation.....and Rice, to help develop the southern leg of the conference and add another AAU school.

Love the predicted format so far. But one problem: Why splitting the Beldum rival within the Oklahoma schools? Would it be necessary?

I believe it is impossible to weaken the bond between OU and OSU. Why not use that to the advantage of the conference?OSU competing more often with Kstate, KU and ISU will only help those teams out. They have played each other regularly for many years and have developed good rivalries.

Four old Big 8 teams will help the North keep competitive and fierce. The North would have the edge in Bball. The South would have the edge in Fball.It doesn't mean the OU and OSU won't get to play each other every year.

If the Big 12 had to add 2 I'd want either Rice and Tulane (for their academics and locations), or Cincy and UConn (for their brands and WVU).

Rice/Tulane both AAU, both in great markets and while Houston is already Big 12 land it is now competing with the SEC who has strong A&M/LSU penetration in the area, and Houston is a great recruiting hub and both make easy road trips for most schools (no flying then driving like you have to in WVU, TX Tech, OSU, KSU). Plus adding two scrubs could help everyones schedule because with the exception of KU/ISU, the Big 12 has lots of competive programs, so the season is tough and adding them to the South helps the balance out the assumed weakness in the North. If Rice is out, Memphis could also fill in as well though I have personal issues with their fans.

Cincy and UConn would be 2 schools in WVU's neck of the woods who could help tie them into the conference and both bring better than average football to keep the Big 12 very competetive (though like I wrote above that can also be a negative depending on how you look at it) great basketball which is a plus, and two big markets in NE and Cincy (though neither owns their own market as they have bigger/better situated competitors in tOSU/BC). But basically the name/brand recognition is the biggest plus here. Temple has no shot.

Not a fan of the directional Florida schools, nor anything out West w/ WVU so far East though the combo of CSU, BYU, UNM, and UNLV sounds appealing but no way does the Big 12 take all of those.

I could be swayed to allow BYU and Boise St to join as fb only members but not full members as Boise has no appeal to the presidents and BYU has too many demands (and yes, I see the irony coming of this from a UT fan).

_________________Fan of the Big 12 Conference, the Mountain West Conference and...

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum